Can kids live in a van?

[Vanbamthankumam]

Ex partner has become a fantasist over the years since we broke up, about things he's going to do and places he's going to live. He could easily rob a bank because he knows where the vaults are. One day he's going to build a house fully under ground and live there like a mole. That sort of crap.
The one tamer idea that has really stuck is that he's going to live in a van. Not to save money or anything, just to be some cool living on the road guy and travel the world.

We have one child and while half of me thinks he's full of crap the other half worries about my child having her overnight visits in some cold van parked on the side of the road. If he really goes down this route would it actually be allowed? If I go through legal proceedings would they let him keep her in a van or could I insist on some other arrangements?

Agree with it being really gross that van dwellers dump human faeces {or shit on green spaces} ..it's completely unacceptable to do that.

Digging a deep hole to poo in and covering it over isn't what most people seem to do, unfortunately.

Have a look at #vanlife on insta, yes I'm jealous.

From your description of this guy either he will never do it, or he will do it boast about it all summer, and then as soon as the weather starts getting bad, abandon it.

You can live in a van full-time and it is okay but it takes planning and work. It sounds like he will do neither. So even if it happens, I doubt it will last for long.

Does he work?
do you revive child maintenance?
how often does he have his child?

And if you do this properly you do not have indoor toilets and never chemical ones. You dig to bury waste. People were doing this in Tepee valley in Wales for decades. It is nothing new.

Ex partner has become a fantasist

how is his mental health Op?

Digging deep and burying poo waste {no chems} is only decent thing to do.
Chemical loos emptied in lay-bys is completely antisocial and vile.

We bought a house from a guy like this. Had dreams of converting a mobile library into a mobile home. He drove it down to Portugal but knowing the "quality" of his DIY in his house, I'm frakly amazed it got down there.

From your description, I'd be amazed if your ex has the money for a decent mobile home and I wouldn't be letting my child sleep in a "wooden pallets as bed and mini fridge tucked in the corner" type set up. I agree with posters tha this is likely to fade away as he realises the work involved.

I'd assume the type of van he got would correlate to whatever you know his personal income and savings to be so that would give you an idea of what kind of van.

I doubt it will ever happen OP, he sounds a bit tragic and delusional based on what you say- but at the end of the day lots of families actively choose to holiday with children in a caravan (static or mobile) and live to tell the tale so I'm sure it would be fine, it isn't going to be their permanent residence.